Waterford GAA Discussion Thread - **MOD NOTE POST #1**

PTH2009

An horrendous day for us. Key players injured, captain been sent off

PTH2009

There's actually no light at the end of the tunnel and next week is looking like it will be curtains for our championship hopes unless we spring a surprise and Tipp have a nightmare

Moran is deff gone next week and then we have the injury list to deal with

This 'we'll be back' stuff is not going too work for us tonight.

0byme75341jo28

Can I just ask as a neutral where all the extreme pessimism has come from? I know ye had a very poor league campaign and today's result is far from ideal but McGrath had ye in an AI final last year and an annihlation of Cork in the SF. Is there meant to be trouble in the camp or something?

Things are obviously up against ye now but I wouldn't write ye off yet.

Deisefacts

Wait for all the excuses to start. A bet not 1 will mention the fact that the team were over trained hence you get injured. Getting to the all ireland last year papered over a load of cracks. Derek said on Wlr before xmas that he was taking the league serious and would be trying out fellas. Bull****. He didn’t try anything and we all knew from the first day in the league against Wexford in Walsh park when he decided during the match not to bring on subs that firstly his selectors and backroom staff have no say and secondly that dictatorships are not always right. It’s also an indication of how poor our county board are that they didn’t call him out on the way he treated the league and just excepted relegation. The cost of relegation to 1b will be roughly €100000. We don’t have that money to be wasting in Waterford. And finally don’t get me started on the way the clubs have been treated by Derek and the county board. JESUS Christ!!

PTH2009

Injuries all serious apparently

Connors has a back problem
Couglan hand injury
D Fives Calf injury
TDB has a serious shoulder injury

Add Aussie and Pauric to that list

Amprodude

What's Waterford plan this year? I take it a win against Clare was 1st on the agenda?

Alf Tupper

"The best full back in the country" - well according to Derek's main sycophant on here - was royally found out today when his minder had to go off!

upthedeise16

After seeing Moran’s red card, he ran 30 yards to give a should into the chest, seen yellows given for similar incidents but absolute stupidity after getting the goal, his form has been disappointing as it is but the 4 injuries in new defense are a much bigger loss

PTH2009

TDB potentially gone for the season if it's a bad Collarbone injury

We might as well call it a day without him tbh

Deise Gael

lookit nobody can blame McGrath for the injuries but what is amazing is that he was trotting out the mantra after the match about having to use untried lads.


He hasn't changed the starting fifteen in four years so loads of lads have walked away and the lads that are left are completely raw because of his incompetence and his unwillingness to look outside that box that he so slavishly refers to whenever interviewed.

SW1985

Can't legislate for injuries but the tactics were bizarre today. Threw 3 big lads up in full forward line and just went route one. Abandoned the passing game we'd played for the last few years. Bypassed Barton and Conor gleeson completely despite them starting well. The anthises of how we've played over the last couple of years. 1950s junior hurling tactics. Just pump it long and hope.

SW1985

Zane Nice Below wrote: »

Can I just ask as a neutral where all the extreme pessimism has come from? I know ye had a very poor league campaign and today's result is far from ideal but McGrath had ye in an AI final last year and an annihlation of Cork in the SF. Is there meant to be trouble in the camp or something?

Things are obviously up against ye now but I wouldn't write ye off yet.

We're crippled with defensive injuries and the replacements aren't inter county standard. We're ****ed. Plain and simple

PTH2009

The team who finished the game today will prob start next week with Curren, Brick or Dunford in place of Kevin Moran

The Waterford support will be getting smaller and smaller each week

SW1985

PTH2009 wrote: »

The team who finished the game today will prob start next week with Curren, Brick or Dunford in place of Kevin Moran

The Waterford support will be getting smaller and smaller each week

Bricks time is gone.

PTH2009

SW1985 wrote: »

Bricks time is gone.

He was very very quite today. Great servant who owes us nothing tbf

Don't think I'd start him for the remaining game

We're as good as out next weekend if we lose. The Limerick and Cork games will be about restoring pride and we should aim at looking at players who are the future.

Bleak times

SW1985

PTH2009 wrote: »

He was very very quite today. Great servant who owes us nothing tbf

Don't think I'd start him for the remaining game

We're as good as out next weekend if we lose. The Limerick and Cork games will be about restoring pride and we should aim at looking at players who are the future.

Bleak times

Curran or Kearney surely after the leagues they had.

Today was a failed experiment. Hurling is a lot more complicated than just pumping it up to 3 big lads stood together. It's a shame brick was one of the test subjects for this particular experiment. He deserves better.

PTH2009

SW1985 wrote: »

Curran or Kearney surely after the leagues they had.

Today was a failed experiment. Hurling is a lot more complicated than just pumping it up to 3 big lads stood together. It's a shame brick was one of the test subjects for this particular experiment. He deserves better.

The injuries didn't help proceedings either

SW1985

PTH2009 wrote: »

The injuries didn't help proceedings either

Of course. By the second half we were screwed with injuries.

But TDBs injury didn't mean we had to play the way we did though. We started the game playing nice hurling. Barron and Gleeson heavily involved. Then completely abandoned it after the injury and went completely route one. Same as in the second half of the all Ireland. Stopped hurling and just started pumping hopeful balls up around the square.

KevIRL

Well that was just $hit. 9 points could easily have been 19. No leaders on the pitch or on the line. Injuries unfortunate yes, but we can't just fold up like a pack of cards when one guy gets injured (tdb). Lack of scoring threat haunting us.

We led 1-4 to 0-3 before de burca went off, over the next 15 mins or so Clare outscored us 2-7 to 0-2.

What Kevin Moran did was beyond moronic.

Too angry, disappointed just pi$$ed off to post more right now

Deise Gael

KevIRL wrote: »

Well that was just $hit. 9 points could easily have been 19. No leaders on the pitch or on the line. Injuries unfortunate yes, but we can't just fold up like a pack of cards when one guy gets injured (tdb). Lack of scoring threat haunting us.

We led 1-4 to 0-3 before de burca went off, over the next 15 mins or so Clare outscored us 2-7 to 0-2.

What Kevin Moran did was beyond moronic.

Too angry, disappointed just pi$$ed off to post more right now

The media king suddenly has no clothes. Queue a puff piece with John Fogarty in the Examiner about being omniscience an d using other words like we plebs are not used to using in our every day vernacular. So let's all bow at the the altar of our very own Kim jung UN


Dan and Murph this is your time. Two great servants to Waterford, are ye going to go along with this s*ite or take a stand???

Deisedozzer

Between the minors and seniors today was a particularly bleak and demoralising day, one of the worst in recent years. Unfortunately based on today the minors are going to ship some big beatings. Very little to be optimistic about, some of the passing was just woeful and the final score was quite flattering to us.

As regards the seniors, we just completely folded once TDB went off and while we were extremely unlucky with all the injuries we picked up, the reality is that McGrath has not blooded any new defenders over the past 3 seasons and we have inadequate replacements as a result. We were actually playing well and looking comfortable until TDB went off and from then on we just played brain dead hurling, totally bypassing midfield and two of our best players. Moran's red card was just sheer frustration at the way Clare were physically bossing us almost all over the field. Another frustrating aspect was that we actually took some lovely scores as the game wore on which really begs the question as to why some of these players didn't start.

Hard to look forward to next week with any confidence after today and the injuries all look serious which means we will be seriously stretched panel wise. We really need Aussie and Paudie back to have any chance.

PTH2009

Deise Gael wrote: »

The media king suddenly has no clothes. Queue a puff piece with John Fogarty in the Examiner about being omniscience an d using other words like we plebs are not used to using in our every day vernacular. So let's all bow at the the alter of our very own Kim jung UN


Dan and Murph this is your time. Two great servants to Waterford, are ye going to go along with this s*ite or take a stand???

a revolt in the camp of any kind is not going to happen and the players/other members of management are 100% behind Derek til the day he leaves the post and that may happen after this campaign concludes

With the amount of Injuries we have atm (and to key key players) Jesus himself would struggle to manage us . The stadiums are going to be half empty the next few weeks

Were facing a Tipp team who will be out to make a point. We have to go out and try and make one too but its too much to ask esp with the quality of players missing. Venues in the West of Ireland really dont suite us

mickmackmcgoo

Deisedozzer wrote:

Between the minors and seniors today was a particularly bleak and demoralising day, one of the worst in recent years. Unfortunately based on today the minors are going to ship some big beatings. Very little to be optimistic about, some of the passing was just woeful and the final score was quite flattering to us.

Sadly this looks to be another poor minor team and you're right they could have been hammered . Our under age structure has fallen apart the last few years . We aren't competitive at Forristal and wouldn't see us doing anything under 21 this year . As for the senior match , those 15 minutes after TDB went off were awful . Hard to see us winning any game this year. New manager next year with hopefully some fresh thinking but ultimately we don't have the squad we would like to think we have.

SW1985

Deisedozzer wrote: »

Between the minors and seniors today was a particularly bleak and demoralising day, one of the worst in recent years. Unfortunately based on today the minors are going to ship some big beatings. Very little to be optimistic about, some of the passing was just woeful and the final score was quite flattering to us.

As regards the seniors, we just completely folded once TDB went off and while we were extremely unlucky with all the injuries we picked up, the reality is that McGrath has not blooded any new defenders over the past 3 seasons and we have inadequate replacements as a result. We were actually playing well and looking comfortable until TDB went off and from then on we just played brain dead hurling, totally bypassing midfield and two of our best players. Moran's red card was just sheer frustration at the way Clare were physically bossing us almost all over the field. Another frustrating aspect was that we actually took some lovely scores as the game wore on which really begs the question as to why some of these players didn't start.

Hard to look forward to next week with any confidence after today and the injuries all look serious which means we will be seriously stretched panel wise. We really need Aussie and Paudie back to have any chance.

Agree with all of this. The next pass Barron received after tadhgs injury was 20 minutes later from a Clare player. We just started lumping it.

Regarding the backs I'm always struck by how physically unimposing the back ups are. It came as no surprise to see them getting bullied today. It begs the question why others haven't been tried as these lads never look the part even in the odd league game they get.

carter10

Leaving the result aside what was the moronic idea to have unmanned traffic lights at Oola? And not a cop to direct traffic in sight?

KevIRL

Waterford game first on Sunday game

hygen

SW1985 wrote: »

We're crippled with defensive injuries and the replacements aren't inter county standard. We're ****ed. Plain and simple

Two of the best backs in the county Willie Hassessy and Micheal Harney were dropped off the panel, they’re better than most defenders on the panel.

book stops with McGrath

Motivator

Long journey back down to Cork after that performance today. Very difficult to see how the panel are going to regroup after that today. To give them credit, Tommy Ryan and Stephen Bennett kept going until the end but a lot of the other lads heads were down for the last 15 or 20 mins.

On a serious note, what players have we got to call up for the next couple of games? I would imagine there could be four or five lads added to the panel for next week. Prunty? Keating? I don’t know who else is on the extended panel, perhaps someone can shed some light on it.

SW1985

mickmackmcgoo wrote: »

Sadly this looks to be another poor minor team and you're right they could have been hammered . Our under age structure has fallen apart the last few years . We aren't competitive at Forristal and wouldn't see us doing anything under 21 this year . As for the senior match , those 15 minutes after TDB went off were awful . Hard to see us winning any game this year. New manager next year with hopefully some fresh thinking but ultimately we don't have the squad we would like to think we have.

This is very true. One good u21 team seems to have made some people lose the run of themselves in Waterford. People want that whole team playing senior but it's unrealistic. You're never going to get enough out of one u21 team to win a senior all Ireland.

You need to be finding a couple of players every year. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much coming after that team. It doesn't bode well

KevIRL

Motivator wrote: »

Long journey back down to Cork after that performance today. Very difficult to see how the panel are going to regroup after that today. To give them credit, Tommy Ryan and Stephen Bennett kept going until the end but a lot of the other lads heads were down for the last 15 or 20 mins.

On a serious note, what players have we got to call up for the next couple of games? I would imagine there could be four or five lads added to the panel for next week. Prunty? Keating? I don’t know who else is on the extended panel, perhaps someone can shed some light on it.

Prunty injured as far as I know.

Seamus Keating still on panel I believe

hygen

SW1985 wrote: »

This is very true. One good u21 team seems to have made some people lose the run of themselves in Waterford. People want that whole team playing senior but it's unrealistic. You're never going to get enough out of one u21 team to win a senior all Ireland.

You need to be finding a couple of players every year. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much coming after that team. It doesn't bode well

Plenty of young players in Waterford, just not a lot of them will play for McGrath. Like we could have a team as follows next year with a decent coach who plays attacking hurling, we have a lot of talent in attack,

2019
Sok
Hassessy
Mahoney
Fives
Harney
TDB
Prunty
C Gleeson
Barron
Devine
Aussie
Stevie Bennett
Pat Curran
Maurice
Shane Bennett

That’s leaving out Pauric Mahoney (you can’t carry a free taker) dj, Mikey Kearney and a lot more,

SW1985

hygen wrote: »

Plenty of young players in Waterford, just not a lot of them will play for McGrath. Like we could have a team as follows next year with a decent coach who plays attacking hurling, we have a lot of talent in attack,

2019
Sok
Hassessy
Mahoney
Fives
Harney
TDB
Prunty
C Gleeson
Barron
Devine
Aussie
Stevie Bennett
Pat Curran
Maurice
Shane Bennett

That’s leaving out Pauric Mahoney (you can’t carry a free taker) dj, Mikey Kearney and a lot more,

Hahessey us nowhere near that level. Mahoney is better than Maurice. Why carry Maurice?

PTH2009

hygen wrote: »

Plenty of young players in Waterford, just not a lot of them will play for McGrath. Like we could have a team as follows next year with a decent coach who plays attacking hurling, we have a lot of talent in attack,

2019
Sok
Hassessy
Mahoney
Fives
Harney
TDB
Prunty
C Gleeson
Barron
Devine
Aussie
Stevie Bennett
Pat Curran
Maurice
Shane Bennett

That’s leaving out Pauric Mahoney (you can’t carry a free taker) dj, Mikey Kearney and a lot more,

Devine is unavailable for 2019 and we don't knw if the Bennett's are coming back

hygen

SW1985 wrote: »

Hahessey us nowhere near that level. Mahoney is better than Maurice. Why carry Maurice?

Hahessy is a very good corner back in my opinion, fast and clever. Purely for the reason of his physical presence and goal scoring ability. Jamie Barron Steven Bennett, pa Curran are all excellent free takers as well as Maurice and paudi.

Tramore84

Motivator wrote: »

Long journey back down to Cork after that performance today. Very difficult to see how the panel are going to regroup after that today. To give them credit, Tommy Ryan and Stephen Bennett kept going until the end but a lot of the other lads heads were down for the last 15 or 20 mins.

On a serious note, what players have we got to call up for the next couple of games? I would imagine there could be four or five lads added to the panel for next week. Prunty? Keating? I don’t know who else is on the extended panel, perhaps someone can shed some light on it.

Long journey is right. A lot of negativity on here, today was a bit of disaster, we will be definite underdogs next wkd agin a resurgent Tipp. Daly didn't give us much of a chance for next wkd anyway. Need cooler heads next wkd - need a big performance from the Brick and hopefully Aussie will be back too.

nlrkjos

Don't be writing yourselves off yet boys, its just one game. With De Burca out maybe McGrath will have to let his players off the leash, Moran needs a slap of an ash plant for his stupidity today, but he's a good player and he'll be back, and don't be writing Brick off either, that man has another few games left in him yet. Cork have been down a while now, but we never wrote them off, and a comeback is due. Give ye'er lads a chance, one bad result in Championship don't make them a bad team.

Motivator

Tramore84 wrote: »

Long journey is right. A lot of negativity on here, today was a bit of disaster, we will be definite underdogs next wkd agin a resurgent Tipp. Daly didn't give us much of a chance for next wkd anyway. Need cooler heads next wkd - need a big performance from the Brick and hopefully Aussie will be back too.

I was watching Austin Gleeson in the warm up today, he was hitting balls over and back to SOK. He didn’t seem to be moving all that freely even walking around. It would be a huge call throwing him in next week even if he is “fit”. He hasn’t hurled at all for a long time now and I’m not sure how much he has been training - if at all.

Lots of negativity is just frustration to be honest. No focus on the league whatsoever this year should have meant we’d see a whole host of changes every week but we didn’t see that at all. The lads that came on today - Roche and Kenny have been on the panel a while, Roche especially, but look like they’re lacking at this level. That isn’t their fault, it’s the fault of a manager who didn’t prioritise the league but showed a complete lack of faith in his panel. What was the reason for the league no show? Everything is focused on the Championship and that’s fine, but when the chips are down results have to be delivered.

Now, McGrath can’t be held accountable for injuries to four of the most important and experience players we have and be can’t be held accountable for Moran’s red card. What he can be held accountable for is the complete lack of a plan and once again today Maurice had a free in the middle and with us a few points down at the time a shot at goal had to have been the play. Maurice looked across to the line and all he saw was arms on hips and crossed arms - there didn’t seem to be much in terms of communication from the line today. It was a tough day for everyone and the players had to deal with a lot in their first proper game of the season. The game plan went out the window when De Burca went off and then when Noel Connors went off everything changed and the Clare forward line really went to town on us.

Tough couple of weeks ahead and it’s backs against the wall stuff now because Tipp next week is already scaring me. If they get a run on a weakened Waterford team it would be a very long day for us again. Hopefully some of the injuries to the backs aren’t as bad as feared and hopefully Curran, Ryan, Bennett and O’Hallorran start next Sunday.

On a positive note I do think Jake Dillon soldiered well today, I think he ended up with 4 from play and he battled all day. He may not be everyone’s cup of tea but he stood up today, he doesn’t do it consistently enough but if he does he’ll go a long way to answering a lot of his critics. It wasn’t easy for any of them today, Clare were well up for it from the start and Waterford were on the back foot from probably the 20th minute to the final whistle. The defeat was nothing to do with lack of effort or application, it was down to bad luck and probably bad management of the situation from McGrath. Next week is another day and hopefully things will be more positive this time next Sunday evening.

upthedeise16

Motivator wrote: »

I was watching Austin Gleeson in the warm up today, he was hitting balls over and back to SOK. He didn’t seem to be moving all that freely even walking around. It would be a huge call throwing him in next week even if he is “fit”. He hasn’t hurled at all for a long time now and I’m not sure how much he has been training - if at all.

Lots of negativity is just frustration to be honest. No focus on the league whatsoever this year should have meant we’d see a whole host of changes every week but we didn’t see that at all. The lads that came on today - Roche and Kenny have been on the panel a while, Roche especially, but look like they’re lacking at this level. That isn’t their fault, it’s the fault of a manager who didn’t prioritise the league but showed a complete lack of faith in his panel. What was the reason for the league no show? Everything is focused on the Championship and that’s fine, but when the chips are down results have to be delivered.

Now, McGrath can’t be held accountable for injuries to four of the most important and experience players we have and be can’t be held accountable for Moran’s red card. What he can be held accountable for is the complete lack of a plan and once again today Maurice had a free in the middle and with us a few points down at the time a shot at goal had to have been the play. Maurice looked across to the line and all he saw was arms on hips and crossed arms - there didn’t seem to be much in terms of communication from the line today. It was a tough day for everyone and the players had to deal with a lot in their first proper game of the season. The game plan went out the window when De Burca went off and then when Noel Connors went off everything changed and the Clare forward line really went to town on us.

Tough couple of weeks ahead and it’s backs against the wall stuff now because Tipp next week is already scaring me. If they get a run on a weakened Waterford team it would be a very long day for us again. Hopefully some of the injuries to the backs aren’t as bad as feared and hopefully Curran, Ryan, Bennett and O’Hallorran start next Sunday.

On a positive note I do think Jake Dillon soldiered well today, I think he ended up with 4 from play and he battled all day. He may not be everyone’s cup of tea but he stood up today, he doesn’t do it consistently enough but if he does he’ll go a long way to answering a lot of his critics. It wasn’t easy for any of them today, Clare were well up for it from the start and Waterford were on the back foot from probably the 20th minute to the final whistle. The defeat was nothing to do with lack of effort or application, it was down to bad luck and probably bad management of the situation from McGrath. Next week is another day and hopefully things will be more positive this time next Sunday evening.

Dillon got 2, the same as his marker

PTH2009

Motivator wrote: »

I was watching Austin Gleeson in the warm up today, he was hitting balls over and back to SOK. He didn’t seem to be moving all that freely even walking around. It would be a huge call throwing him in next week even if he is “fit”. He hasn’t hurled at all for a long time now and I’m not sure how much he has been training - if at all.

Lots of negativity is just frustration to be honest. No focus on the league whatsoever this year should have meant we’d see a whole host of changes every week but we didn’t see that at all. The lads that came on today - Roche and Kenny have been on the panel a while, Roche especially, but look like they’re lacking at this level. That isn’t their fault, it’s the fault of a manager who didn’t prioritise the league but showed a complete lack of faith in his panel. What was the reason for the league no show? Everything is focused on the Championship and that’s fine, but when the chips are down results have to be delivered.

Now, McGrath can’t be held accountable for injuries to four of the most important and experience players we have and be can’t be held accountable for Moran’s red card. What he can be held accountable for is the complete lack of a plan and once again today Maurice had a free in the middle and with us a few points down at the time a shot at goal had to have been the play. Maurice looked across to the line and all he saw was arms on hips and crossed arms - there didn’t seem to be much in terms of communication from the line today. It was a tough day for everyone and the players had to deal with a lot in their first proper game of the season. The game plan went out the window when De Burca went off and then when Noel Connors went off everything changed and the Clare forward line really went to town on us.

Tough couple of weeks ahead and it’s backs against the wall stuff now because Tipp next week is already scaring me. If they get a run on a weakened Waterford team it would be a very long day for us again. Hopefully some of the injuries to the backs aren’t as bad as feared and hopefully Curran, Ryan, Bennett and O’Hallorran start next Sunday.

On a positive note I do think Jake Dillon soldiered well today, I think he ended up with 4 from play and he battled all day. He may not be everyone’s cup of tea but he stood up today, he doesn’t do it consistently enough but if he does he’ll go a long way to answering a lot of his critics. It wasn’t easy for any of them today, Clare were well up for it from the start and Waterford were on the back foot from probably the 20th minute to the final whistle. The defeat was nothing to do with lack of effort or application, it was down to bad luck and probably bad management of the situation from McGrath. Next week is another day and hopefully things will be more positive this time next Sunday evening.

Very good summary

When/If McGrath calls it a day this year, who will take over ???. This will prob be the most important managerial appointment in our history and we need the right man but who is there locally ??. Fergal Hartley/ Peter Quelly/Eoin Murphy/Paul Flynn ???. Not many options outside the county either with DJ Carey waiting for the Kilkenny senior gig. Anyway McGraths in charge for the rest of the season

Next week is a scary prospect and could be ugly. A win could be too much to ask for In our current situation but a good performance for players/management is needed for all the travelling support. We're not going to have a big support for the Limerick and Cork games unless we win next week.

On this new calender/structure, enjoyed the trip to Ennis but it's just not the same feeling and felt more like a league knockout game than championship

Motivator

We’re potentially without 9 of the starting 15 from the All Ireland final ahead of next week. There isn’t a county in the country that could deal with that. When you factor in the fact that most of them have been mainstays in the starting 15 for a few years it’s worrying.

Cake Man

Well everyone knows the hurling doesn't really matter this year, it's a World Cup year so clearly everyone will be focussed on that and take no interest in GAA this summer


Seriously though, an awful day all round. Really couldn't have got much worse than it did, you'd be wondering if someone up above had a grudge against us the last few weeks such were key players dropping like flies. Don't think there's much to be said that hasn't been said already.
I suppose we'll know more about the injury situation during the week but you'd have to think we'll be down at least 4 or 5 regular starters for next week against a Tipp side who will be desperate for a win. We've a mountain to climb.

Mastermcgrath

Deise Gael wrote: »

The media king suddenly has no clothes. Queue a puff piece with John Fogarty in the Examiner about being omniscience an d using other words like we plebs are not used to using in our every day vernacular. So let's all bow at the the alter of our very own Kim jung UN


Dan and Murph this is your time. Two great servants to Waterford, are ye going to go along with this s*ite or take a stand???

I find it strange that you never see this type of criticism of  management on public social media sites, the only personal stuff against him comes on places like this hiding behind a pseudonym, like yourself. So if Derek McGrath is in fact Kim Jung Un in disguise he has certainly put the frighteners on  you

On a serious note though, are your expectations are that we should have won today.... against Clare in Ennis, without Gleeson and Mahoney and lost TDB, Moran, Connors amongst others during the game?

Amprodude

People are on here blaming McGrath and saying he not good enough to manage the team. I do think he is managing at best a very average panel of players who probably punched above their weight last year reaching the All Ireland Final.

I don't Think any manager can make the team better unless a few more flashy forwards are found in Waterford fairly soon. Displicine and lack of scoring ability is Waterfords downfall right now. Hard to see them beating Tipperary the next day out.

Mastermcgrath

Amprodude wrote: »

People are on here blaming McGrath and saying he not good enough to manage the team. I do think he is managing at best a very average panel of players who probably punched above their weight last year reaching the All Ireland Final.

I don't Think any manager can make the team better unless a few more flashy forwards are found in Waterford fairly soon. Displicine and lack of scoring ability is Waterfords downfall right now. Hard to see them beating Tipperary the next day out.

My fears with this new system not suiting us have been realised. We simply do not have the strength in depth to cope with the amount of injuries and absentees we have over 4 games in quick succession. Last year was a bit of a 'smash and grab' in the qualifiers. That system suited us more, after we got knocked out of Munster we then got it right for a run for 3 games and overcame Wexford, Cork and KK to get through an AI final.
With this new system you could win three games as big as that and still not even get through to the AI quarter finals.

Motivator

Amprodude wrote: »

People are on here blaming McGrath and saying he not good enough to manage the team. I do think he is managing at best a very average panel of players who probably punched above their weight last year reaching the All Ireland Final.

I don't Think any manager can make the team better unless a few more flashy forwards are found in Waterford fairly soon. Displicine and lack of scoring ability is Waterfords downfall right now. Hard to see them beating Tipperary the next day out.

But he picked the panel and he’s in year four of his project. If you think he’s managing an average group of players does the buck not stop with him and his coaching staff? This panel have spent an incredible amount of time together and have been on more training camps and weekends away than I can remember. Players under a manager who is 5 years into a job should be improving, not going the other way. Lots of talented guys have opted out and walked away disgruntled don’t forget that. It’s worrying that lads have gone noticeably backwards under his guidance and before anyone asks, no I’m not going to name names because I think it’s unfair to single out players but there’s definitely a couple that I’ve seen over the last couple of years that lookblike their hurling has just been coached out of them. They’ve been forced to play a system and style for 5 years that just doesn’t suit how they were taught and coached all their lives. Last year, yeah it’s probably fair to say that we rode our luck at times but we did look a different team last year.

The problem I have with McGrath this year is that failure in competitive games has become acceptable and even encouraged in Waterford and that’s just not right. Players, by nature, are competitive - which is why they’re on the panel. Does anyone honestly believe that they’re happy to effectively go out and throw games like the one against Wexford in the first round of the league? How Croke Park didn’t give our County Board a slap on the wrists for that one I’ll never know. No subs and a manager who came out before and after the game to say the league didn’t matter. If that’s a professional sport there would be fines, bans and enquiries into that. What player is happy going out on to the pitch knowing that they’re being set up to fail? Yesterday the players were flat and frustrated for large parts of the game. A negative approach to games all winter doesn’t just disappear overnight. Going from losing to winning games doesn’t just happen at the flick of a switch. Imagine being some of the forwards on the bench yesterday. Flogging yourself since January in the wind, rain and snow training and playing in competitive games that the manager doesn’t care about. McGrath was basically just fulfilling his obligations by fielding a team. Mikey Kearney was probably the one positive thing to come out of our disaster of a league campaign and he had to sit and watch that yesterday. If he doesn’t start on Sunday (he probably will now by default) then you’d wonder what that does to confidence of players like him. Why does he bother doing it at all?

Has it gone to the stage where McGrath’s stubbornness, lack of application and flippant approach to 2 months of competitive games in the league has rubbed off on the players? Surely it has to have an effect on them in some capacity. It’s jusy not good enough from McGrath and the more I think about it the angrier I get.

cul beag

Motivator wrote: »

But he picked the panel and he’s in year four of his project. If you think he’s managing an average group of players does the buck not stop with him and his coaching staff? This panel have spent an incredible amount of time together and have been on more training camps and weekends away than I can remember. Players under a manager who is 5 years into a job should be improving, not going the other way. Lots of talented guys have opted out and walked away disgruntled don’t forget that. It’s worrying that lads have gone noticeably backwards under his guidance and before anyone asks, no I’m not going to name names because I think it’s unfair to single out players but there’s definitely a couple that I’ve seen over the last couple of years that lookblike their hurling has just been coached out of them. They’ve been forced to play a system and style for 5 years that just doesn’t suit how they were taught and coached all their lives. Last year, yeah it’s probably fair to say that we rode our luck at times but we did look a different team last year.

The problem I have with McGrath this year is that failure in competitive games has become acceptable and even encouraged in Waterford and that’s just not right. Players, by nature, are competitive - which is why they’re on the panel. Does anyone honestly believe that they’re happy to effectively go out and throw games like the one against Wexford in the first round of the league? How Croke Park didn’t give our County Board a slap on the wrists for that one I’ll never know. No subs and a manager who came out before and after the game to say the league didn’t matter. If that’s a professional sport there would be fines, bans and enquiries into that. What player is happy going out on to the pitch knowing that they’re being set up to fail? Yesterday the players were flat and frustrated for large parts of the game. A negative approach to games all winter doesn’t just disappear overnight. Going from losing to winning games doesn’t just happen at the flick of a switch. Imagine being some of the forwards on the bench yesterday. Flogging yourself since January in the wind, rain and snow training and playing in competitive games that the manager doesn’t care about. McGrath was basically just fulfilling his obligations by fielding a team. Mikey Kearney was probably the one positive thing to come out of our disaster of a league campaign and he had to sit and watch that yesterday. If he doesn’t start on Sunday (he probably will now by default) then you’d wonder what that does to confidence of players like him. Why does he bother doing it at all?

Has it gone to the stage where McGrath’s stubbornness, lack of application and flippant approach to 2 months of competitive games in the league has rubbed off on the players? Surely it has to have an effect on them in some capacity. It’s jusy not good enough from McGrath and the more I think about it the angrier I get.

Well put together. But there are several posters on here that have been saying this for the past while and have been accused of all sorts when stating this.
Unfortunately it isn’t going to get any better in the short term but you’ll hear plenty of excuses in the meantime.
Great post by the way.

SW1985

What we played yesterday bore no resemblance to the system and style we've played the last few years.

PTH2009

Footballers get an away draw to Wexford on the weekend of the 9th/10th June

Winnable game

KevIRL

Wexford v Waterford in round 1 of football qualifiers

PTH2009

Waking up dis morning yesterday's defeat Is even more hard to take